This talk will cover a personal 40+ year journey in energy research starting from a time when it was thought the world was running out of oil to the dual energy challenge we face today of increasing affordable and reliable energy supply while mitigating climate change. Early research involved microfabrication of targets and x-ray diagnostics that revealed problems with scaling laser fusion. Microfabrication led to the development of natural lithography used for soft condensed matter studies and the first demonstration of optical enhancement of solar cells, a feature incorporated into solar cells today. Related fabrication methods led to the development of the first x-ray microtomography system and also creation of microporous superlattices with dimensions small enough to size exclude large molecules. Transport studies led to research on the performance of zeolite membranes as well as synthesis of the first high performance MFI membranes targeted to selectively isomerize para-xylene. In this same time period we engaged in research in a wide variety of membrane reactors as well as a family of short residence time reactors that used diesel, jet, and rocket engine technologies to improve yield slates of free radical reactions. More recent research has focused on creation of separations technology to lower energy and CO2 footprint using (1) membranes for bulk CO2 removal from high pressure natural gas, (2) reverse osmosis membranes for selective hydrocarbon separation, (3) hollow fiber swing adsorption contactors for CO2 capture, (4) rapid cycle swing adsorption for natural gas dehydration, and (5) improved understanding of kinetics for absorption processes capturing CO2. Other research addressing the dual energy challenge includes a new way to explore for oil and gas and Bio-CCS that is an overlooked direct air capture concept with the potential to cost effectively sequester multiple Giga-tonnes of carbon per year.

A 40+ year journey in energy research: Broadening energy options available to society, addressing challenges of atmospheric carbon dioxide, and improving the energy efficiency of industrial separations

ACS Spring Meeting 2021

The official archive and repository for all ACS Meetings & Expositions abstracts and select posters or presentations.

A 40+ year journey in energy research: Broadening energy options available to society, addressing challenges of atmospheric carbon dioxide, and improving the energy efficiency of industrial separations</i>